The authorities believe it is possible some people may have been picked up by local fishing boats and have not yet reported themselves.

A coast guard official told reporters that the cargo ship, Sulpicio Express 7, had 36 crew members on board, but it did not sink.

It emerged on Saturday that Span Asia Carrier Corp, the company that owns the cargo ship, also owned the ferry involved in the world's worst maritime disaster in peacetime, which occurred in the Philippines in December 1987.

BBC links

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.